


Hot and Cold

by RunOn



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: First Meeting, Fluff, M/M, Oneshot, meet cute, non-samwell au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 04:26:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18909535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RunOn/pseuds/RunOn
Summary: Prompt: ”hi we’re neighbors and omg are you alright i could smell cooking/burning –”whoaaa now that’s just embarrassing? step aside i’ll handle this”





	Hot and Cold

Now, that wasn’t right. Dex sniffed the air curiously. An acrid smell was creeping through his apartment, but from where? He was sure he hadn’t left the stove on, but he checked it anyway. There was nothing there and the units were quite cool. He quirked an eyebrow.

He then went to check the HVAC unit behind an access door in his bedroom closet. It had always been quirky and he never quite trusted it to not burn the whole apartment down. But it checked out as well, humming along keeping the apartment warm against the February cold at sixty-eight degrees.

The acrid smell got stronger. He was heading toward the front of his apartment again when he heard the muffled beeping of a smoke detector through the wall.

Instinctively, he sprang into his kitchen and grabbed the fire extinguisher he kept there and sprinted from his apartment.

Out in the hallway, he tilted his head and listened for where the alarm was coming from. He turned to the next-door apartment that shared his living room wall. Pausing just long enough to test the door and find it cool to the touch, he turned the knob. Fortunately, it was unlocked and he ran in. The apartment was hazy with thin gray smoke which was clearly coming from the kitchen. The smoke choked his breath and the beeping of the alarm raised his anxiety. Turning the corner to the kitchen he sprayed the CO2 canister in the direction of the source of the smoke.

“Hey! Hey hey hey hey hey!” It took a bit for the words to get through the fog of Dex’s mind. His sole purpose was to PUT THE FIRE OUT.

As the voice broke through the barriers into his consciousness, he became aware of the other man in the apartment. His mind cleared with the smoke. He blinked and there in front of him was a very handsome, very bewildered man with a charred casserole dish of god-knows-what in his hands and CO2 discharge on his pants. Right at the crotch.

Dex felt himself flush all over in embarrassment and exclaimed, “Oh! Sorry! Guess I got carried away! Um…my name’s Will.” He held out his hand in formal greeting but realized the man’s hands were busy with the casserole dish and he let his hand drop awkwardly at his side.

The other man smirked. “Derek.”

“I’m sorry about your…” his voice trailed off as he made a weak gesture to the charred carnage in Derek’s hands. “And your…” here the understood reference was the man’s crotch and Dex could have kicked himself.

“It’s chill.” Derek said with ease and turned to put the casserole dish on the stove top.

“It is obviously very not chill.” Dex couldn’t help from saying. “It’s the opposite of chill. It’s like you tried to cook that in the fires of Hell.” He stepped closer to look at it. Yep, incomprehensible. “What even was that?”

Derek looked helplessly at it. “It was macaroni and cheese. Now it’s just….”

“Embarassing.”

“Chyeah.” Derek chuckled.

“So, uh, what happened?”

“I just got off a late shift down at the paper and I thought, it’s late. I’m tired. I’m desperate for a shower. So I’ll make some mac and cheese. Double the temperature, half the time. You know?”

Dex resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. That’s now how it works. How is this man living alone and doesn’t know how to cook and feed himself?

He took a deep breath and said, “So, I know you don’t know me or anything, but maybe I can help you out? I’ll make the recipe, you get your shower? How’s that sound?”

“I don’t know,” Derek said, hesitating, “It’s my mom’s recipe.” His eyes narrowed. “Family secret. I can’t just give it out to anybody.”

“Well you just turned the family secret into blackaroni and cheese. I’m sure I can’t do worse. And I promise, I'm not going to share it with anyone. Your recipe is safe with me. Scout’s honor.” He raised his right hand in the Scout sign, the old gesture still familiar and practically instinctive.

Derek shifted his weight on his feet as he considered the offer. This weirdass man from next door had nearly cryo-ed his testicles two minutes ago. But…Derek was tired. Derek was hungry. And Derek was craving his mom’s macaroni and cheese.

His mind made up, he slid the little 3x5 index card to the Boy Scout Next Door and left the kitchen.

It took no time for the sound of the shower to fill the little apartment. Dex opened the windows, despite the winter chill, to clear the remaining smoke. He put a fresh pot of water on to boil, trashed the carbonized casserole, and even took the trash out so the bitter tang wouldn’t continue to permeate the apartment.

Dex had had to raid his own fridge a little for some of the ingredients. He also grabbed some of his veggies, which he chopped for a salad, and made a dish of cut fruit. He always liked a little tart acidity of fruit to chase heavier richer foods.

He got the macaroni in the oven and Derek still hadn’t reappeared. So Dex did the dishes, closed the windows again, and set the table. He was standing there pondering one setting or two? Should he finish the cooking and just leave, or could they eat together? Maybe he should ask? Maybe Derek wasn’t going to come out until he left? How long does that man take to take a shower???

Reaching a decision Dex placed one plate down. And turned to put the other back in the kitchen. He’d already long overstayed any sort of welcome one might have as a stranger barging into another man’s apartment.

But just as he turned-

Derek was there.

In nothing but a towel.

Dex’s eyes were instantly drawn to the tattoo on Derek’s bicep and then across his muscled chest. He looked back up into Derek’s eyes. He hadn’t noticed before that they were green. Like gray birch leaves. And Dex gulped audibly. He held the plate to his chest protectively. And dammit if he couldn’t feel himself blushing. Sometimes he hated being a redhead.

At that moment, the oven timer dinged.

“Dinner’s re-ady,” he said, his voice cracking like his was still in high school. He had to get out of there. Shoving the plate at Derek, Dex turned to leave.

“Wait!”

Dex froze.

“Aren’t you gonna stay?” Derek’s voice sounded playful and a little sad.

Hard as it was Dex turned to face him.

“I thought you might like to have your privacy back…I kinda invaded…I’m sorry, it was rude of me, but I hope you like your dinner. Just…uh, you know, follow the recipe from now on. Don’t want you burning the apartment down.”

Dex gave a short nod as a good-bye and strode for the door.

“Please, stay.” Nursey’s voice again made Dex turn.

Dex quirked an eyebrow. “You…really don’t mind?”

 _Did_ he mind? Derek didn’t mind. His neighbor’s striking red hair was casting some weird spell over him and he thought back to the fairy-lore he’d read as a junior in college. If he was in danger of being captured, he didn’t mind. Not one bit. He needed Will to stay. At least a little longer. So he could look in those unique amber eyes that he couldn’t quite believe were real and enjoy the way Will blushed so easily. And Derek hadn’t missed Will’s eyes roving over his body. It gave him a little thrill to be admired like that.

Derek caught his mind wandering and answered, “No! I mean, you almost froze my balls off, but that’s in the past, they’re all warmed up now.” Omg that was TMI he told himself. “You know I’m gonna just…”

Derek gestured to his bedroom, presumably he was going to put some clothes on. Which would be great, because there was no way Dex’s brain was going to function if Derek kept running around in that damn towel.

Before walking off, Derek added, “But please, make yourself comfortable.” And he very conspicuously set the extra plate across from his at the table. Then he began to head to his bedroom. He stubbed his toe on the chair. When he lifted his foot to cradle the injured digit, he lost his balance, stumbled over the same chair, and promptly fell sprawling onto the floor.

But the towel held itself in place.

Dex wasn’t sure whether he was relieved or disappointed.

“I’m okay!” Derek said as he popped back up on his feet and headed to the bedroom.

 _“That explains a lot,”_ Dex thought to himself as he went to the kitchen to remove the hot, bubbly, golden crusted macaroni goodness from the oven- all the bumps and thuds and crashes he’d heard from next door. He placed the dish triumphantly on the table. This gorgeous man was a serious klutz.

Dex shook himself to get his mind in the present, got the silverware from the kitchen, sat, and waited.

Derek appeared again. Still topless, but wearing sweats now. Dex gulped. He was doomed.

Dex waited for Derek to begin serving himself before he helped himself to the little spread he’d made. He got modest portions of each dish, though now he was good and hungry after cooking and smelling food for the better part of the last hour.

Derek must’ve noticed because he said, “S’that all you’re gonna get? Now, I know you’re hungry too. Please, help yourself. You don’t have to hold back on my account.”

Dex did as he was told, now with enthusiasm. Derek, too, filled his plate to heaping.

Dex watched as Derek tried the first bite of the macaroni and cheese.

Derek froze.

Dex froze. _Oh shit, had he forgotten something? Had he gotten something wrong?_ He was beginning to freak out a little as Derek stared at him, and he was beginning to brace himself to run for the door.

When Derek swallowed his bite, he looked at the Dex, then at the macaroni, and back at Dex again.

“That is my Nanna’s recipe. I said it was my mom’s but it’s actually her mom’s. And I’m pretty sure it came from her own mother…and you just-”

 _“Oh God. Oh God. Oh God,”_ Dex thought to himself. He’d just desecrated a legacy recipe and generations of Derek’s family’s matriarchs were going to come back and haunt him. His throat closed up and he could barely breathe-

“ _Nailed_ it. How? How did you do it? Because, I make this all the time. It’s one of my favorites, but it never quite comes out right.” He took a big bite.

Dex, speechless, shook his head. He’d just followed the recipe, he demured.

Derek waved him off. “Don’t sell yourself short, man.” Then Derek’s grin beamed across the table. “Amazing. A-fucking-mazing man! I’d call my mom if it wasn’t so late and tell her this total stranger broke into my apartment to make Nanna’s recipe and he did it perfectly! She’d never believe me.” He took another big bite and pretty much scarfed his whole serving down in seconds and served himself another.

Dex, relieved, began to relax a little and resumed eating.

“You’re gonna hafta come back now, you know?” Derek said.

“Wha-t?” _Goddammit_ what was wrong with his voice and the cracking?

“You gotta do this again. This is literally my favorite food on Earth and I can never get it right. You, my friend-” he pointed at him with his fork, “are on mac-and-cheese duty.”

“But we don’t even know each other.” Dex leaned in close and lowered his voice. “I could be an axe murderer for all you know.”

“Nah.”

“Can’t be so sure.”

“You saved me from macaroni. I’m pretty sure you’re safe. C’mon!”

“Well …uh…okay…” Dex accepted the offer. Hand to God this was one of the weirdest nights in Dex’s life. Cooking a meal and eating together with his neighbor he’d never met before like they’d known each other forever.

“Yassss!” Derek exclaimed and continued to dig into the meal. “Thanks by the way. You officially win the Best Neighbor Award.”

Dex shrugged off the compliment. “It’s nothing.”

Derek pointed his fork at Dex. “It’s not nothing man.” He jabbed the fork, punctuating each word for emphasis. “You made salad and fruit too. I mean, you didn’t have to do anything and I could have just ordered take out.”

“That’s true,” Dex conceded.

“But this is much nicer,” Derek said and shot Dex another one of those drop-dead gorgeous grins that made Dex’s heart flutter.

Dex was pretty sure he was going to die.

Derek, apparently much more at ease with this completely weird turn of events, found it easy to make conversation. And Dex appreciated that.

Over the next hour Dex learned that Derek was NYC born and raised. He shared he was from a small town in Maine. They’d both played hockey. And they were both Falconers fans. Dex did not disclose his Jack Zimmerman poster… or magazine…or figurine collection. Maybe…some other time. Derek had moved in six months ago and Dex shared that he’d lived in the building for the past two years. They talked about some of the familiar places they frequented for coffee, or breakfast, or any meal really. Derek shared his favorite local bookstores. Dex enjoyed some novelty shops that specialized in selling nostalgic items. It turned out Derek worked at the same big newspaper Dex worked at, only Dex was in IT and Derek was a junior editor.

“We should meet up for lunch some time!” Derek proclaimed upon learning they worked in the same building.

“Well…okay, sure.” Dex said hesitatingly, not because he didn’t want to, but because he was just so overwhelmed by this personality across from him.

“Derek?” Dex asked.

“Yeah?”

“Do you always make friends this easily?” Because Dex definitely did not.

“Hmm…” Derek thought a moment. “Not really.” Sure he could talk to people easily enough, but as far as letting people in and becoming close, it wasn’t so easy. “But I dunno, there’s something about you, comfortable and familiar like. And you nailed my Nanna’s recipe so I know I can trust you. Just..you know, watch your aim with that fire extinguisher.” He winked at Dex.

Dex laughed.

Derek loved Will’s laugh immediately. It burst out so carefree and full of mirth. Will didn’t seem like one to laugh easily and Derek felt like he’d won a small victory. Will had been decently friendly, kind even, but had a stiffness that Derek hoped to overcome. Although he was fairly certain of the answer, he still asked, “You?”

Dex shook his head. It’s not that he didn’t like people, though…okay…he didn’t like a lot of people…but, really, it was hard for him to get to know new people and make new friends. It wasn’t easy to trust people he didn’t know. And to be quite frank, he hated the small talk that seemed made up the bulk of conversations with anyone. So he felt like he just didn’t click easily with other people. But Derek was welcoming, warm, easy-going, and very nice to look at, and he had a gracious spirit.

If Dex was completely honest, had the tables been turned, he’d have kicked Derek out as soon as the lack of fire was evident and he’d have dealt with his problem on his own.

But sitting here now, at the table together, chatting and talking about the paper and schools and families and interests, Dex knew he had missed this since moving away from home to the Big City. This easy conversation, meandering anywhere and everywhere.

“But I like you!” Dex blurted. He didn’t mean to say that, or to say it exactly like that. “As a friend I mean. A neighbor and a frie-nd.” His face was flaming again and he knew it. He could see a little twinkle in Derek’s eyes that showed he saw it too.

“I get you. I get you,” Derek said grinning broadly again.

And the conversation continued flowing, easy, natural, relaxed. It was midnight before they finished talking and put the leftovers away and did the dinner dishes- during which they chirped each other soundly about “how to load a dishwasher” and “no it doesn’t go in that way” and “if you turn the bowls this way you can fit more in” and “so help me if you unload it and reload it after I’m finished….”

Dex had to get up at six the next morning, but he did not regret the late night one bit.

Years later the “how we met” story they’d tell everyone was about the day Derek almost burned down the apartment building and Will saved the day be nearly freezing his nuts off. The rest…was history.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm @kleeklutch on tumblr. Stop by and say "hi" :)


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